Programme-card for dances



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet l. E. MENDUM & S. G. SWETT.

PROGRAMME CARD FOR DANGES.

No. 276,191. Patented Apr. 24, 1883.

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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. E. MENDUM & S. G. SWETT.

PROGRAMME CARD FOR DANOES.

No. 276,191. Patented Ap1u24. 1883.

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UNITED STATES PATENT FFICE.

ERNEST MENDUM, or MELROSE, AND SYLVESTER a. swarm, or BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

PROGRAMM E-CARD FOR DANCES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 276,191, dated April 24, 1883.

Application filed November 17, 1882.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, ERNEST MENDUM, a citizen of the United States, residing at Melrose, in the county of Middlesex, in the State of Massachusetts, and SYLVESTER G. SWETT,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, haveinvcnted certain new and useful Programme-Cards for Dances, of which the TO following is a full, clear, and exact description. The object of this invention is to provide a programme or order of dances for balls and other dancing parties and the like, whereby the useof the pencil for the recording or noting ot' engagements of partners for the respective dances of the programme is obviated, it being thus possible to reuse the programme-cards for a series of entertainments, keeping them clean and free from pencil-marks.

The invention consists in programme-cards adapted to receive cards or strips containing the namesot' the respective dancers, which cards or strips may be interchanged among the programmes of the dancers as the dancers are engaged as partners for any of the numbers or dances of the entertainment, substantially as herein-alter specified and claimed.

The accompanying drawings show programme-cards or parts of programmes em- 0 bodying various forms of our invention, like parts being similarly designated in the several figures; and Figure 1 shows in plan view a programme-card with a skeleton name-card holder arranged centrally thereon, with the 5. characters of the dances at the left and the names of their composers or whence they are taken at the right. Fig. 2 is a similar view of a program rue-card wherein a rack at one side is adapted to receive movable cards with the names of the dances and a rack at the other side movable cards of the dancers. Fig. 3 is A a similar view of a modified form of a rack in which pockets are formed to receive the name cards or strips of the dancers and the face of the rack takes the names of the dances. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section of said card and rack. Fig. 5 is a plan of a double-rack programme-card, in which the racks have a series of pockets for the name-cards. Fig. 6 is a longitudinal section of the card and rack of (No model.)

Fig. 5; and Fig. 7 is a plan view of a programme-card, partly broken away at the bottom corner, for interchangeable name-cards, in which slots are made to receive the ends of the cards.

The programme-card a,Fig. 1, may be of any of the materials usually employed in the making of such articles, and have printed or otherwise placed thereupon an order of dances. Centrally of such programme-card is secured a skeleton rack, b. This rack may be of paper, card-board, sheet metal, plastic material, wire, or other matter, and is made up of Iongitudinal side pieces, 0, and connecting crosspieces d, with open spaces e between. This rack may be attached, as by paste, cement, or other fastening, to the programme-card by its ends and cross-pieces in such manner as to leave pockets beneath the Spaces 0, open at each side along the side pieces, 0, so as to permit the insertion of name cards, slips, or strips fin said rack beneath the side pieces in such manner as to expose at c the inscription on said cards. These cards fmay be furnished with the programmes and the holdeis name inscribed thereupon before engaging in the dances, and in the event of an individual, club, or association giving a number of entertainments throughout a season the members thereof may have these cards engraved or printed, or otherwise previously prepared for the occasions with their names, thus wholly avoiding the use of the pencil. The rack bis made sufficiently rigid to hold the cards against accidental displacement.

In using my programmes the partners, as engaged, exchange cards, strips, or slips containing their names, one taking those cards from the programmes which stand opposite the dance for which he engages his partner and placing his card in the rack of his partners programme opposite said dance and his partners card in the rack of his programme opposite the same dance, thusquickly and without writing making the engagement for both.

In Fig. 2 the racks b I) are of substantially the same construction as that shown in Fig.

1; but this programme is intended for repeated reuse, and to this end the two racks are em- 10o ployed, one to receive movable cards with the names of the dances, the order of which may be varied as desired, and the other to receive the dancers cards. These cards are shown, some wholly and some partly in place in the racks, in order to illustrate the mode of operation.

This form of programme-card is admirably adapted for a series of balls or dancingparties projected for a season, it enabling the entertainer to supply himself with cards containing a great variety of dances, from which he may select at his pleasure, thus saving the buying of new programme-cards for each entertainment. Thisform of program mecard enables persons who usually associate to provide themselves with programmes of very ornate designs and with engraved cards containing theirown names and the names otthe usual dances, so that when attending a dance the holders of these programmes can readily arrange their own programmes from those previouslypreparcd by those conducting the dance.

In Figs. 3 and 4 we have shown the card-rack made with a solid face to receive the names of r the dances, and beneath these names pockets g are made to receive the dancerscards. These pockets are formed by cross-pieces h beneath or on the under side of the rack. The threefold thickness of the back of the card, Fig. 4, is immaterial, it being understood that the material of the programme-cards will be sufficiently stitf to support the rack.

In Figs. 5 and 6 we have shown two racks to the programme-card, each having a series of pockets for the name-cards. The proximity and security of union of the programme card or body and racks in these two forms of programmes, Figs. 3, 4, 5, and 6, aid in holding the cards in place.

In Fig. 7 the rack is made in the body of the 1.)rogramme-card itself by intermittently slotting or providing pockets 6 iii the same at points opposite the dances. The ends of the name-cards fare passed through these slots or pockets i substantially as indicated, and, for security sake and to make the insertion of the name-cards easier, the programme-cards may be depressed between the slots.

Now, our programme-cards may be prepared and arranged wholly as fancy dictates, both as to material and finish; and our invention therein consists in providing such with ready means for noting the engagements ofpartners.

What we claim is- 1. The method of indicating dance-engagements between partners by means of programme-cards on which are designated the number and special order of the dances selected and the names of the composers or the source of the music therefor, and provided with racks or other suitable means for receiving and holding removable and interchangeable strips, upon which the names of the par ties engaged are or can beinscribed, and which strips are exchanged by such engaged partners, and the engagement indicated by placing such strips in the proper receptacle on their respective programme-cards, substantially as described.

2. A programme-card for dances, contaiir ing the number and special order of the dances' selected and the names of the composers or source of the music therefor, and provided with racks or other suitable means for receiving and holding removable and interchangeable stripsupon which the names of the holders of the programmecards are or may be inscribed, and which strips are exchangeable among the cards of the dancers in engaging partners, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands this 10th day of November, A. I). 1882.

ERNEST MENDUM. SYLVESTER Gr. SWETI."

Witnesses CHAS. H. UNION, JOSIAH P. MENDUM. 

